


Brain Stuff

by sheafrotherdon



Category: Castle
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-24
Updated: 2009-12-24
Packaged: 2017-10-05 03:25:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/37295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheafrotherdon/pseuds/sheafrotherdon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>College decisions - it's such very messy brain stuff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Brain Stuff

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lomedet](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lomedet/gifts).



It's finally the night – the long, dark night that Castle has been dreading since his daughter was born and proved herself unbearably smart by opening her eyes and looking at him the moment she was set into his arms. Since that exact moment – Castle could tell you the minute, the second, the color of her blanket, and how he was dead set against the hat – he has known that ultimately, eventually, he was utterly screwed. She was going to grow up and develop an enormous brain that absorbed information at a rate of knots and she was going to leave him.

And go to college.

"So, I've bookmarked key institutions – my top ten's in this folder, but there are some outliers, you know, the ones that score high on community service involvement, or social justice issues . . ." Alexis makes tiny clicks with her mouse and up pop a bewildering array of glossy websites.

"They had books when I did this," Castle says wistfully. "Glossy brochures. You wrote and said hey, I'm interested in your brain stuff, and they said here, have a shiny magazine."

"And that's why the polar bears are dying," Alexis says cheerfully. "So, where should we look first?"

She's thought the whole thing through. There are favorites, and outliers, there are spreadsheets doing things with cost ratios and tuition and distance from NYC, divided by local dollar values and he's pretty sure she's rated something with tiny icons of lettuce, but it's all too confusing and he's just the chauffeur. "Well." He nods, mentally ordering his brain to get over the fact that she is no longer wearing the newborn hat – and he hated the hat anyway! – and points at his own laptop, which is open to Google maps. "How about _you_ choose, and I'll map. Then we can figure groupings, distance . . . "

"Hotels."

"Very important."

"Book signings."

"Hey, no," he says, twisting on the stool to face her more directly. "This is – no book signings."

Alexis shrugged. "I just figured you'd want to multi-task . . ."

He reaches out and places his hand atop the crown of her head, flexes his fingers. "Braaaaains."

"Dad!"

"Braaaaaaaaaains!!'

"_Dad_."

"If your brains are not working, brain-eating monster must eat them," he says, making his eyes wide, licking his lips.

"I was being considerate!"

"Well." He takes back his hand. "Okay – but this is your tour. We're going to colleges. And possibly several sub-par restaurants. We will pack the car to the gills and stay in hotels that your grandmother would like to see put out of business for the thread count of their sheets."

Alexis clicks to a different college webpage. "Can we eat breakfast for dinner?"

"Naturally. And I will not accept breakfasts for breakfast that do not contain at least 85% dessert items." He pulls his laptop closer. "Okay. I'm ready. Give me the furthest one away."

"Hmmmm . . . University of Wyoming, for . . ."

Castle notices his world turn pale gray. He sways on his stool, and forces himself to concentrate on Alexis' face.

"Dad?"

Castle clears his throat. "Sorry, I uh – "

"Swooned?" Alexis asked, grinning. "It's okay, dad, I was joking. The furthest place is only Minnesota, it's not like I'm . . . "

But this time he's down for the count.


End file.
